Zoro's Promises
by Abigail Skywalker
Summary: Years have passed since the Strawhat Pirates disbanded. And the once Ex-Pirate Hunter Zoro is looking for a new challenge after becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman by defeating the legendary Mihawk. Becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea sounds like it might be fun, but what sort of hells and problems will the title bring his way.


**I know what everyone is thinking… Why is she writing another story when she hasn't finished her other stories yet? Well, maybe if I get a few more demands and enthusiastic responses I might feel more inclined to fulfil or maybe just finish what is needed to be done, but right now I'm feeling lazy. Maybe Zoro's personality is starting to rub off on me. I blame Zoro.**

**Anyway, this story is about Zoro's life after Luffy accomplished his dream and the Strawhat pirates bizarrely went their separate ways. Yes, I am a shipper of Zoro and Tashigi. You should be too. :D**

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_Zoro's Promises: 1. Lost_

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Out of all the thoughts that Zoro had envisioned he might have been having or going through his mind at this moment in time, he had never even considered the possibility that achieving his dream and goal in life would make him depressed. He had thought he would be thrilled and would drink himself into a stupor, or that he might actually be asked to become a pirate warlord by the damned marines and be able to laugh in their faces and tell them NO, and finally and most weirdly he had imagined a great burden being lifted off his shoulders when he had accomplished the task.

But it had never come. The imagined burden had never lifted. The praise and acknowledgement from the people he used to care about had never showed any sign of appearing.

There was no calm to be given to the raging storm inside his wandering soul. Not that Zoro even believed he had a soul, but there was a small portion of him that continued to grow into a never-ending sea of restlessness. And he could not quench that thirst. For many months after Luffy, Nami, Sanji, and Robin disappeared to 'who knows where' Zoro was just left in charge of the rest of the extremely depressed crew.

After several months of living on the edge and avoiding the marines together, they began to admit to one another that they had many other dreams and ambitions that they would like to accomplish. However, perhaps not necessarily with the aid of the rest of the crew, before long after they all started to announce their intentions and they went on their own merry ways. They all shared a heart-felt farewell with one another and one by one would leave the party.

Franky made a miny army of machines that could operate the Thousand Sunny and thus created probably the very first Mechanical Pirate crew to operate without any outside interference, so in a sense he never left... Chopper's bleeding heart led him to help out anyone that he considered 'in need', and so he was very soon snatched up by civilians and pirates alike because he was all civil, adorable, useful, smart, and apparently cute as well. Brook left to find his friend Laboon whom he had abandoned for too long. And Usopp finally made a decision that he himself would visit the land of giants, and then would venture the seas again, after revisiting his home town, and sail the seas and become known as … 'THE GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP!'

Zoro couldn't really say he missed them immediately, he was quite thankful to escape the chaos that surrounded the bunch. It took him a long time to get to the same emotional level as the others. He had never really been the sort of guy to wear his emotions for show, but after they and he had all left the Thousand Sunny and he had been wandering around by himself for months he realized what they all were to him. They were his company and his companions. He had never really bothered having companions before and now that they were all gone…

He felt lost. He had never really thought he might ever feel so alone.

When Zoro left, he left with just one purpose, to become the world's greatest swordsman. He had become confident in his abilities and he was sure that he could win the next time they duelled.

He had defeated Mihawk in an epic battle on the Island of Castern in the South Blue. The energy and power he had exerted had been exuberating. He had fought the previous sword master for 53 hours tiring himself out. The location had been damp and cold its terrain difficult to map out in one's mind. But Somehow Zoro had managed to defeat him. The great Mihawk was defeated.

There had been a small level of satisfaction. But after some time it had decipitated.

He had begun to feel empty. Like it had all been for nothing. He felt lost. He had never really thought he might ever feel so alone.

And that was what Zoro had become. Alone.

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It was a beautiful day in the East Blue the sky was a piercing, blue colour that seemed to be reflected by the sea. The sea breeze picked up off the dancing waves and blew a ragged raft that sat gently on the sea's surface, further into the great and vast waters. Upon this abomination of all sea bearing floats lay a drunkard. He lay out under the mocking eyes of the blazing sun as he drunk bottle after bottle of sake that he had managed to somehow store aboard his barely floating raft.

One might have wondered at his sanity for daring to make such a careless journey, or may have been concerned for his own safety had he not always a deadly look upon his face whenever he was awake. Whoever passed him by and lived to tell of it only mentioned that it was as if the man had the devil's luck. That was when the Legends began. The last remaining fearsome pirate of the dreadful generation was the swordsman from the Strawhat Pirates, the man that had the devil's luck, and could survive anything. They would tell tales of him drowning only to be saved by mermaids and tales of him dying of thirst and hunger only to remain alive by becoming a cannibal, tales of him selling out the rest of the strawhat pirates to the devil himself just so that he could have another chance at life.

These tales were all false of course … we think, but the message stuck to his name. Death follows the demon hunter. The man that had the devil's luck, and he became known as the Demon Hunter Zoro.

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It was another sleeping day for the Demon Hunter Zoro as he rested in the clumsy craft of his that gently swayed on the rising tides of the deep ocean.

The lonely demon hunter stretched and muttered to himself. "I'm so bored!"

It has been said by many that speaking to oneself is the first sign of madness. But considering where the demon hunter has been and come from people would have thought him mad from the very start. The very idea of teaming up with a mad man like Monkey D. Luffy was the absolute epiphany of lunacy, but traveling to the Grand Line with that man and a miniscule pirate crew was equally ridiculous. There wouldn't be much hope for him now, even if the man was a one man army. He was simply a mad man and would be better off being left alone.

Thankfully for most people the likelihood that the legendary hunter might just show up at their door was quite low, and they could go about their business feeling content in the fact that they could read about his terrible deeds, that the marines felt obliged to give to the people, from the safety of their comfortable homes and never have to worry about meeting him. However, for the not so fortunate like the marines, one might have to cross paths with the demon hunter from time to time, and not many relished in the idea. However there was still one that actively sort after him, chased him, and would challenge him at every opportunity.

This person had also been labelled by some as equally mad, having joined the marines with the intention of collecting the largest selection of fine katana and swords in the history of collections. She had a strong sense of justice, but was also prone to sudden bursts of anger at the likelihood of any sign of discrimination against her or any other woman who wasn't getting her equal rights against the far larger fighting force that were the men. She fought like a man, many said, but others continued to laugh at her efforts and say that she was no soldier.

And having been so slighted and looked down upon by many a man it came naturally to Captain Tashigi to despise the Pirate Roronoa Zoro for having taken pity upon her. For in her eyes there was nothing worse than being shown compassion and pity by the enemy, and she was determined to change that feeling of defeat by duelling one last duel where either he or she would win and the other would die, that, in all her years of hunting for him and searching for him had been near impossible to do, until now.

Out on lonely raft Zoro woke up from his daze with a snap as a strange messenger bird squawked into his ear and dropped a letter into his lap.

The tired and lazy man opened it with disinterest, but that was soon replaced with a look of surprise.

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**_To Roronoa Zoro, _**

**_Previously known as the second in command of the strawhat pirates._**

**_We invite you to accept a new opening we have in the shichibukai, (the seven warlords of the sea) as you know these seven pirates have been granted a pardon by the World Government from all their previous crimes in return for their future services to the promotion of peace within the World Government._**

**_The duties of a warlord are as follows._**

**_You are not to express open defiance to the authority of the World Government._**

**_You are only allowed to attack other pirates and must also compensate the Government with a tenth of their plunder._**

**_You must never allow pirates outside of your own crew to go free if they are on our Wanted list._**

**_You must remain undefeated in order to maintain your position, or at the very least never allow a spectacle to arise that might effect your reputation._**

**_You are encouraged to liberate new islands for the World Government and to protect its citizens_**

**_And finally you are expected to come to the aid of the World Government at any time requested from you._**

**_Benefits and Concessions to be received as Warlord._**

**_You are pardoned for your former actions and any existing bounties are rescinded. _**

**_You are no longer classified as an outlaw._**

**_You can make money through any legitimate business that suits you, whether that be in returning to bounty hunter work or scientific studies._**

**_You are also entitled to any new equipment from the WG store houses (such as Kairoseki ) that you might wish to use._**

**_If when you accept, you violate these terms with no forewarning or reasonable explanation we will immediately revoke your rights as a Pirate warlord and you will receive no pardon for any future crimes against the World Government._**

**_We wait to hear your reply._**

**_Orders of Fleet Admiral_**

**_Sengoku_**

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Zoro whistled to himself in surprise and leaned back knocking his head into the mast of his makeshift raft. "Who would have guessed that?" He sighed staring blankly at the thick piece of paper as if it were stale cheese. He looked back up at the bird that was perched above him balanced on the top of his mast. "What do you think I should do?" He called up at the quire creature. It squawked an answer that was unintelligible but seemed to make sense to the sun-kissed pirate.

"Your right it might be fun." He nodded to the bird and lifted the one piece of paper into the sunlight covering his head for the briefest of seconds. He then straightened up and turned over the sheet of paper and quickly pulled out one of his blades at his side. Sliding his finger down the sharpened edge of Wado Ichimonji he sliced a big cut into it and started to write in his own blood this simple reply.

**_Hi,_**

**_This is Zoro here._**

**_Sure I'll do it._**

**_Bye._**

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**Well I hope you like this one. :D**

**Give me a review if you like the chapter, and please selected follow if you want to read more chapters.**


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